10 years later
by dawn.hangartner
Summary: It's been 10 years since what I like to call "the River Incident". I am now 22 and I study art design at Chicago University. I also work part-time as a waiter. This is about the time my life changed forever. one-shot


It's been 10 years since what I like to call "the River Incident". I am now 22 and I study art design at Chicago University. I also work part-time as a waiter. One sunny morning I was doing the morning shift when a girl walked in to the café. There was something about this girl that drew my eyes to her. She had long blond hair that covered her face and she was wearing a black t-shirt with black jeans and rainbow arm warmers. In her hair she had those multicolored string twist things, at least 3 of them. I went over to her table and cleared my throat she glanced up and I was momentarily stunned she had sad grey eyes that I swear i recognize but from where? In fact I recognized her, she seemed familiar. Finally I remembered were i was. I was about to ask her what she wanted then i noticed the dog.

"Sorry miss no pets aloud."

"This isn't a pet it is a guide dog." She replied. Oops what do you say to that? I now noticed her eyes seemed distant, hazy, not quite there.

"Oh...right ...sorry...um... what would you like?" I asked hesitantly.

"What is there?" she didn't sound too bothered that I had made that mistake.

"Coffee, hot chocolate, tea, bread..." I read out the menu for her and she chose a hot chocolate and a croissant. I went to get her order. While I made her drink I thought about why I seemed to remember her then my thoughts drifted to Leslie Burk. A girl I thought of all the time at the back of my mind, the girl I went into depression because of at the age of 13 and didn't come out for a long time. I wasn't her fault it was the ropes. It was mine, if I had invited her to the museum none of it would have happened, we could still be best friends, happy! I know it has been 10 years but what difference does it make? 1 year, 5 years, 50 even she is still dead and it's still my fault. No matter how many times people say "it is not your fault Jess" "the tree was weak" or "the rope wasn't strong enough" It still is my fault, it is. It just is.

For 2 weeks the blind girl came to the cafe the same time every day. It took me 2 weeks to build up the courage to ask her something other than "the usual?" It was a Thursday. I walked over to her table and say the stupidest thing I could have.

"You come here a lot." Seriously she must think I'm a dork. If she does she doesn't show it instead she smiles and says

"I like it here, it has a nice sound to it."

"Does it?" I ask in surprise it didn't to me it just sounded noisy to me. "oh definitely!" she replied grinning "It feels like the kitchens of a castle would and I'm the Queen hiding behind a curtain. That is why I can't see what is happening." I stood stunned.

"Close your eyes" she instructed. I Instinctively I did as I was told.

"Imagine you are a king and your standing behind a big heavy curtain in your castle's kitchen and you are listening to all your servants and chefs making your dinner you don't want them to see you otherwise they will all stop talking with such merriment so you stay nicely hidden. See this cafe feels like that to me."

I imagined exactly how she told me to and that brought on childhood memories, one in a wood over a river in a land called Terabithia.

"Leslie."

"How do you know my name?"

"What?" I open my eyes and stared at her. The girl repeated her question

"How do you know my name? I never told you."

"Your name is Leslie?" I ask confused.

"Yes Leslie Burk." The girl said. I was speechless, shocked. Once I finally got my voice back I started mumbling

"Not really...distant relative...dead...no...dead."

"What are you on about?" her tone of voice was slightly alarmed. I took a deap breath.

"I don't mean to be rude but how old are you?"

"22. Why? What is wrong? What's so strange about my name?"

22 it was impossible it must be she couldn't be alive! True the police never actually found the body but that was because it had been taken down the river or something. Finally I when managed to talk again I sat down opposite her and said.

"I knew a Leslie Burk again once. 10 years ago. When I was 12. She was my best friend." The blind girl sat in silence for what felt like years then she said 1 word "Jess." And I knew it was Leslie my Leslie my best friend. The how's and the what's and whatever other questions there were to answer could wait I just had to hold her in my arms, make sure she was real, actually alive.


End file.
